EP2419695B1 - Displacement sensor - Google Patents
Displacement sensor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2419695B1 EP2419695B1 EP10764581.4A EP10764581A EP2419695B1 EP 2419695 B1 EP2419695 B1 EP 2419695B1 EP 10764581 A EP10764581 A EP 10764581A EP 2419695 B1 EP2419695 B1 EP 2419695B1
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- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- diaphragm
- piezo
- strain
- strain gauge
- displacement sensor
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01B7/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques
- G01B7/16—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by resistance strain gauge
- G01B7/18—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by resistance strain gauge using change in resistance
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01B7/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques
- G01B7/16—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques for measuring the deformation in a solid, e.g. by resistance strain gauge
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01B—MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- G01B7/00—Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of electric or magnetic techniques
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01D—MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01D5/00—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable
- G01D5/12—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable using electric or magnetic means
- G01D5/14—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable using electric or magnetic means influencing the magnitude of a current or voltage
- G01D5/16—Mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member; Means for converting the output of a sensing member to another variable where the form or nature of the sensing member does not constrain the means for converting; Transducers not specially adapted for a specific variable using electric or magnetic means influencing the magnitude of a current or voltage by varying resistance
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01L—MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE
- G01L1/00—Measuring force or stress, in general
- G01L1/20—Measuring force or stress, in general by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
- G01L1/22—Measuring force or stress, in general by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress using resistance strain gauges
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01L—MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE
- G01L1/00—Measuring force or stress, in general
- G01L1/20—Measuring force or stress, in general by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress
- G01L1/22—Measuring force or stress, in general by measuring variations in ohmic resistance of solid materials or of electrically-conductive fluids; by making use of electrokinetic cells, i.e. liquid-containing cells wherein an electrical potential is produced or varied upon the application of stress using resistance strain gauges
- G01L1/2206—Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports
- G01L1/2231—Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports the supports being disc- or ring-shaped, adapted for measuring a force along a single direction
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a displacement sensor to measure displacement of a variety of devices depending on a slight deformation of the devices, and more particularly, to a displacement sensor to measure displacement of a device based on moment of force acting on a diaphragm when the diaphragm undergoes displacement.
- FIG. 7 An example of a conventional displacement sensor is illustrated in FIG. 7 .
- the illustrated conventional displacement sensor 300 includes a body 310 mounted to a mechanical device D1, an input bar 320 in the form of a cantilever integrally extending from the body 310, a distal end of which comes into contact with a partial region D2 of the mechanical device D1 so as to undergo displacement according to displacement of the partial region D2, a strain gauge 331 attached to the input bar 320, and an electric circuit board 332 to generate an electrical signal upon receiving a strain value measured by the strain gauge 331.
- the input bar 320 When the partial region D2 is moved upward, the input bar 320 is bent upward thus undergoing displacement.
- the strain gauge 331 and the electric circuit board 332 generate an electrical signal corresponding to the displacement of the input bar 320.
- the strain gauge 331 is attached to the input bar 320 to attain a sufficient sensitivity.
- a cover 340 is provided to maintain the strain gauge 331 and the electric circuit board 332 in an airtight state.
- the cover 340 may be unintentionally detached from the input bar 320 due to frequent deformation of the input bar 320.
- FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view illustrating a conventional load sensor using a diaphragm, to which a strain gauge is attached.
- the conventional load sensor 200 includes a sensing body 210, a diaphragm 211 provided on the sensing body 210, and an input bar 212 provided beneath the sensing body 210 to vertically press the diaphragm 211 by a weight thereof.
- a strain gauge 213 is attached to the diaphragm 211.
- the strain gauge 213 includes a pair of first and second piezo-resistance elements R 1 and R 2 attached close to one side edge of the diaphragm 211, and a pair of third and fourth piezo-resistance elements R 3 and R 4 attached close to an opposite side edge of the diaphragm 211 so as to correspond respectively to the first and second piezo-resistance elements R 1 and R 2 .
- a notch 214 is indented in a lower surface of the sensing body 210 and acts to increase strain of the diaphragm 211.
- the input bar 212 is mainly subjected to vertical force.
- the input bar 212 is typically subjected to horizontal force, twisting moment, etc, thus being under the influence of miscellaneous load including moment, torsion, etc.
- a Wheatstone bridge circuit consisting of first to fourth piezo-resistance elements is used.
- the Wheatstone bridge circuit is configured such that strains measured by the piezo-resistance elements under the influence of moment offset each other and only deformation of the diaphragm caused by vertical force can be measured.
- the above described conventional diaphragm has a significantly limited strain gauge attachment area. This results in troublesome attachment of the strain gauge and increases generation of defective products due to a deviated attachment position of the strain gauge.
- the strain gauge must be attached to a linearly deformable region of the diaphragm.
- the strain gauge must be accurately attached to the partial region. Therefore, despite use of an automated machine, there always exists a risk of a deviated attachment position of the strain gauge due to fine shaking and thus, generation of defective products may be increased.
- US 5263375 discloses a load sensor comprising a sensing body including a diaphragm provided at a lower surface thereof.
- a strain gauge is formed on a lower surface of the sensing body and includes four piezo-resistance elements.
- An input portion is orthogonally fixed at the center of an upper surface of the sensing body.
- DE 102005036126 , DE 2608381 and JP 2005 106775 disclose similar load sensors.
- DE3238951 discloses a load sensor wherein the strain gauges are on the same side of the diaphragm as the input portion.
- the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is one object of the present invention to provide a displacement sensor, which enables measurement of displacement caused by moment even with use of a diaphragm to which a strain gauge is attached.
- the sensing body may include an annular notch indented in the upper surface thereof, and a slope extending obliquely from the annular notch toward the center of the upper surface thereof to increase a linearly deformable area of the diaphragm.
- the diaphragm may include an attachment surface to which the strain gauge is attached and a disc-shaped protrusion having the same center as the center of the diaphragm and serving to increase strain of the attachment surface.
- the diaphragm may include an attachment surface to which the strain gauge is attached and a disc-shaped protrusion having the same center as the center of the diaphragm and serving to increase strain of the attachment surface.
- the displacement sensor may further include a housing perforated with an opening, into which the diaphragm is inserted and coupled, the housing encasing the signal processing unit therein, and a connector provided at a side surface of the housing while being connected to the signal processing unit to transmit the electrical signal to the outside.
- a displacement sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following several effects.
- the displacement sensor can measure displacement caused by moment even with use of a diaphragm to which a strain gauge is attached. Accordingly, the displacement sensor has no limit in an attachment position thereof.
- the strain gauge is attached to the diaphragm in a direction parallel to a moment generation direction, so as to measure maximum strain of the diaphragm caused by moment.
- the displacement sensor can attain a strain value suitable for amplification by a circuit while maintaining an appropriate strength thereof.
- the diaphragm has a slope to increase a linearly deformable area thereof.
- the increased linearly deformable area has the effect of increasing a tolerance range of an attachment position of the strain gauge, thus reducing generation of defective products due to incorrect attachment of the strain gauge.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a displacement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the displacement sensor illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- the displacement sensor 100 includes a sensing body 1 and a signal processing unit 2.
- the sensing body 1 is provided at a lower surface thereof with a diaphragm 11 to which a strain gauge 12 is attached, and an input bar 13 orthogonally fixed to the center of an upper surface thereof, to which displacement of a mechanical device is transmitted.
- the strain gauge 12 serves to measure strain of the diaphragm 11 caused by moment of the input bar 13, and the signal processing unit 2 generates an electrical signal based on a strain value output from the strain gauge 12.
- the displacement sensor 100 may further include a housing 3 in which the diaphragm 11 of the sensing body 1 and the signal processing unit 2 are accommodated, and a connector 4 to receive the electrical signal generated by the signal processing unit 2.
- the housing 3 has an opening 31 for coupling of the diaphragm 11, and the signal processing unit 2 is encased within the housing 3 so as not to be contaminated by impurities.
- the housing 3 may function to shield electromagnetic waves generated from other electronic devices, and may further have a flange 32 having screw holes to install the displacement sensor 100 to the mechanical device.
- a cover 3a is attached to the housing 3 by welding in a final assembly stage.
- the cover 3a serves as a shield to improve Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) characteristics and enables realization of a waterproof sensor.
- EMC Electro Magnetic Compatibility
- attachment of the cover 3a provides the housing 3 of the displacement sensor 100 with a closed box-shaped structure.
- the input bar 13 has an L-shaped form consisting of an upper portion parallel to a horizontal plane of the diaphragm 11 and a lower portion orthogonal to the horizontal plane of the diaphragm 11.
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the diaphragm and the input bar provided in the displacement sensor illustrated in FIG. 1
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the diaphragm and the input bar illustrated in FIG. 3 .
- the strain gauge 12 attached to the diaphragm 11 is arranged parallel to moment generation direction by the input bar 13.
- the strain gauge 12 includes first to fourth piezo-resistance elements R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 , which are sequentially attached to an imaginary line passing through the center of the diaphragm 11 such that the first and second piezo-resistance elements R 1 and R 2 are symmetrical respectively to the third and fourth piezo-resistance elements R 3 and R 4 .
- a longitudinal direction of the L-shaped input bar 13 is referred to as an X-axis.
- a Y-axis is orthogonal to the X-axis and is parallel to the plane of the diaphragm 11, and a Z-axis is orthogonal to the X-axis and Y-axis directions.
- the diaphragm 11 undergoes moment M1 about a rotation axis, i.e. the Y-axis in an X-Z plane.
- the piezo-resistance elements R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 of the strain gauge 12 are attached parallel to one another in an X-axis direction in which the diaphragm 11 undergoes maximum deformation under the influence of the moment M1.
- the strain gauge 12 can measure maximum strain of the diaphragm 11 caused by the moment M1, resulting in an accurate measured value.
- the signal processing unit 2 includes a Wheatstone bridge circuit as illustrated in FIG. 5 , and generates an electrical signal based on the above described displacement as represented in the following Equation 1.
- R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are resistance values corresponding to the respective piezo-resistance elements
- K is a fixed proportional constant value representing a gauge factor
- ⁇ 1 , ⁇ 2 , ⁇ 3 , and ⁇ 4 are strain values measured by the respective piezo-resistance elements.
- the Wheatstone bridge circuit having the above described configuration generates an electrical signal having a positive (+) value calculated by the above Equation 1 when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of the input bar 13 is moved upward, but generates an electrical signal having a negative (-) value when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of the input bar 13 is moved downward.
- the Wheatstone bridge circuit according to the present invention eliminates vertical force which is applied to the diaphragm 11 along with the moment. That is, the Wheatstone bridge circuit is operated to eliminate vertical force while amplifying moment.
- the moment amplifying displacement sensor deals with vertical force as one of miscellaneous load.
- the first piezo-resistance element R 1 and the fourth piezo-resistance element R 4 are tensioned (lengthened) and the second piezo-resistance element R 2 and the third piezo-resistance element R 3 are compressed (shortened).
- the electrical signal calculated by the above Equation 1 has zero value because strain values of the symmetrically attached first and third piezo-resistance element R 1 and R 3 and strain values of the symmetrically attached second and fourth piezo-resistance element R 2 and R 4 have the same magnitude.
- the first case represents strain caused by moment when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of the input bar is moved upward
- the second case represents strain caused by moment when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of the input bar is moved downward
- the third case represents strain caused when vertical compression force is applied to the input bar
- the fourth case represents strain caused when vertical tensile force is applied to the input bar.
- the electrical signal generated by the signal processing unit using the Wheatstone bridge circuit has a positive (+) value or a negative (-) value, and the magnitude of input displacement is calculated from the magnitude of the electrical signal.
- the Wheatstone bridge circuit eliminates force acing in a vertical direction of the diaphragm, enabling accurate calculation of displacement caused by moment.
- FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the diaphragm provided in the displacement sensor illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- the sensing body 1 has an annular notch 1a indented in the upper surface thereof to amplify deformation of the diaphragm 11.
- the sensing body 1 has a slope 1b obliquely extending from the notch 1a toward the center of the upper surface thereof, the slope 1b serving to increase a linearly deformable area of the diaphragm 11.
- the slope 1b extends by a predetermined inclination angle inward from the bottom of the notch 1a indented in the upper surface of the sensing body 1.
- the diaphragm 11 undergoes linear deformation in the slope 1b.
- This principle is known and is equal to that of a cantilever, which has a downwardly inclined upper surface and a horizontal lower surface, and is linearly deformed when downward shear stress is applied to a distal end of the cantilever.
- the diaphragm 11 is further provided with a disc-shaped protrusion 111 having the same center as that of the diaphragm 11.
- the center region of the diaphragm 11 has a thickness greater than a thickness of the remaining region of the diaphragm 11. Consequently, the center region of the diaphragm 11 having the disc-shaped protrusion 111 is subjected to a smaller strain, whereas a peripheral region of the diaphragm 11 to which the strain gauge is attached, i.e. an attachment surface 112 of the diaphragm 11 is subjected to a greater strain.
- the displacement sensor 100 can perform more accurate measurement even slight moment variation with high sensitivity.
- the present invention is applicable to a displacment sensor to measure displacement caused by moment even with use of a diaphragm to which a strain gauge is attached.
Description
- The present invention relates to a displacement sensor to measure displacement of a variety of devices depending on a slight deformation of the devices, and more particularly, to a displacement sensor to measure displacement of a device based on moment of force acting on a diaphragm when the diaphragm undergoes displacement.
- An example of a conventional displacement sensor is illustrated in
FIG. 7 . - The illustrated
conventional displacement sensor 300 includes abody 310 mounted to a mechanical device D1, aninput bar 320 in the form of a cantilever integrally extending from thebody 310, a distal end of which comes into contact with a partial region D2 of the mechanical device D1 so as to undergo displacement according to displacement of the partial region D2, astrain gauge 331 attached to theinput bar 320, and anelectric circuit board 332 to generate an electrical signal upon receiving a strain value measured by thestrain gauge 331. - When the partial region D2 is moved upward, the
input bar 320 is bent upward thus undergoing displacement. Thestrain gauge 331 and theelectric circuit board 332 generate an electrical signal corresponding to the displacement of theinput bar 320. - In the above described
conventional displacement sensor 300, thestrain gauge 331 is attached to theinput bar 320 to attain a sufficient sensitivity. In addition, to prevent contamination due to impurities under specific use environments, acover 340 is provided to maintain thestrain gauge 331 and theelectric circuit board 332 in an airtight state. - In this case, to maintain the
strain gauge 331 in an airtight state, it is necessary to attach a part of thecover 340 to theinput bar 320. However, this causes thecover 340 to undergo displacement along with theinput bar 320, having an effect on a measured value of thestrain gauge 331. - Moreover, the
cover 340 may be unintentionally detached from theinput bar 320 due to frequent deformation of theinput bar 320. -
FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view illustrating a conventional load sensor using a diaphragm, to which a strain gauge is attached. - The
conventional load sensor 200 includes asensing body 210, adiaphragm 211 provided on thesensing body 210, and aninput bar 212 provided beneath thesensing body 210 to vertically press thediaphragm 211 by a weight thereof. - A
strain gauge 213 is attached to thediaphragm 211. Thestrain gauge 213 includes a pair of first and second piezo-resistance elements R1 and R2 attached close to one side edge of thediaphragm 211, and a pair of third and fourth piezo-resistance elements R3 and R4 attached close to an opposite side edge of thediaphragm 211 so as to correspond respectively to the first and second piezo-resistance elements R1 and R2. - A
notch 214 is indented in a lower surface of thesensing body 210 and acts to increase strain of thediaphragm 211. - Assuming that the
input bar 212 is fixed at or comes into contact with a load occurrence position of a target device to be measured, theinput bar 212 is mainly subjected to vertical force. In addition to the vertical force, theinput bar 212 is typically subjected to horizontal force, twisting moment, etc, thus being under the influence of miscellaneous load including moment, torsion, etc. - When attempting to detect deformation of the
diaphragm 211 caused by the vertical force to be measured by means of thestrain gauge 213, deformation of thediaphragm 211 due to the miscellaneous load including moment, etc. may be detected simultaneously. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the miscellaneous load in order to measure only the vertical force. - Accordingly, in a conventional solution, as shown in
FIG. 9 , a Wheatstone bridge circuit consisting of first to fourth piezo-resistance elements is used. The Wheatstone bridge circuit is configured such that strains measured by the piezo-resistance elements under the influence of moment offset each other and only deformation of the diaphragm caused by vertical force can be measured. - In the meantime, in the case where the conventional load sensor is used as a displacement sensor, it is necessary for the diaphragm to be oriented orthogonal to a surface of a mechanical device that undergoes displacement. This disadvantageously results in a limited installation position of the sensor.
- In particular, if a possible installation space of the displacement sensor is limited, for example, if it is difficult, in the case of measurement of displacement of a vehicular electronic brake caliper, to attain a space required for the displacement sensor to be orthogonally attached to a displacement occurrence surface, the use of the displacement sensor may be impossible.
- With relation to design of a sensor, it is important to provide the sensor with not only high strength, but also sufficient strain for stable amplification in a circuit. However, the sufficient strain and the high strength are conflicting characteristics from various viewpoints and thus, design trade-off is necessary. For this reason, when a displacement sensor is designed based on the conception of a load sensor that is adapted to receive force directly, the displacement sensor may entail a problematic strength, resulting in vulnerable sensor design. Accordingly, to enable stable measurement of displacement regardless of a maximum operating load, it is necessary to design a displacement sensor such that the role of the displacement sensor is limited to accurately measure slight displacement of a specific region of a structure and a system operating load is assigned to the structure. This is a principal aim of design of the displacement sensor. This is also advantageous for acquisition of a sensor installation space because it is unnecessary to arrange the sensor on a transmission path of force. Accordingly, upon design of the sensor, a system designer should consider only an operational displacement portion of the structure that can be measured by the sensor.
- In the meantime, the above described conventional diaphragm has a significantly limited strain gauge attachment area. This results in troublesome attachment of the strain gauge and increases generation of defective products due to a deviated attachment position of the strain gauge.
- More specifically, to accurately measure strain using the strain gauge, the strain gauge must be attached to a linearly deformable region of the diaphragm. In the case of the above described conventional diaphragm, only a partial region immediately above the notch undergoes approximate linear deformation and thus, the strain gauge must be accurately attached to the partial region. Therefore, despite use of an automated machine, there always exists a risk of a deviated attachment position of the strain gauge due to fine shaking and thus, generation of defective products may be increased.
-
US 5263375 discloses a load sensor comprising a sensing body including a diaphragm provided at a lower surface thereof. A strain gauge is formed on a lower surface of the sensing body and includes four piezo-resistance elements. An input portion is orthogonally fixed at the center of an upper surface of the sensing body. -
DE 102005036126 ,DE 2608381 andJP 2005 106775 DE3238951 discloses a load sensor wherein the strain gauges are on the same side of the diaphragm as the input portion. - Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is one object of the present invention to provide a displacement sensor, which enables measurement of displacement caused by moment even with use of a diaphragm to which a strain gauge is attached.
- It is another object of the present invention to provide a displacement sensor in which a Wheatstone bridge circuit is adapted to measure only deformation caused by moment while eliminating strain caused by vertical force.
- It is another object of the present invention to provide a displacement sensor in which an input bar converts displacement orthogonal to a plane of a diaphragm into moment, thereby enabling deformation of the diaphragm.
- It is another object of the present invention to provide a displacement sensor in which a diaphragm has an increased linearly deformable area where a strain gauge is attachable.
- It is a further object of the present invention to provide a displacement sensor in which deformation of a diaphragm can be amplified, resulting in enhanced sensitivity.
- In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a displacement sensor according to
claim 1. - The sensing body may include an annular notch indented in the upper surface thereof, and a slope extending obliquely from the annular notch toward the center of the upper surface thereof to increase a linearly deformable area of the diaphragm.
- The diaphragm may include an attachment surface to which the strain gauge is attached and a disc-shaped protrusion having the same center as the center of the diaphragm and serving to increase strain of the attachment surface.
- The diaphragm may include an attachment surface to which the strain gauge is attached and a disc-shaped protrusion having the same center as the center of the diaphragm and serving to increase strain of the attachment surface.
- The displacement sensor may further include a housing perforated with an opening, into which the diaphragm is inserted and coupled, the housing encasing the signal processing unit therein, and a connector provided at a side surface of the housing while being connected to the signal processing unit to transmit the electrical signal to the outside.
- As apparent from the above description, a displacement sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following several effects.
- Firstly, the displacement sensor can measure displacement caused by moment even with use of a diaphragm to which a strain gauge is attached. Accordingly, the displacement sensor has no limit in an attachment position thereof.
- Secondly, the strain gauge is attached to the diaphragm in a direction parallel to a moment generation direction, so as to measure maximum strain of the diaphragm caused by moment. As a result, the displacement sensor can attain a strain value suitable for amplification by a circuit while maintaining an appropriate strength thereof.
- Thirdly, with use of a signal processing unit adopting a Wheatstone bridge circuit, vertical force applied to the diaphragm simultaneously with moment can be eliminated and thus, can be excluded from the subject of measurement. This enables more accurate calculation of displacement caused by moment.
- Fourthly, the diaphragm has a slope to increase a linearly deformable area thereof. The increased linearly deformable area has the effect of increasing a tolerance range of an attachment position of the strain gauge, thus reducing generation of defective products due to incorrect attachment of the strain gauge.
- Fifthly, when the diaphragm is centrally provided with a disc-shaped protrusion, a peripheral region of the diaphragm, to which the strain gauge is attached, is subjected to greater strain, resulting in enhanced sensitivity.
- The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a displacement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the displacement sensor illustrated inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a diaphragm and an input bar provided in the displacement sensor illustrated inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the diaphragm and the input bar illustrated inFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a Wheatstone bridge circuit provided in the displacement sensor illustrated inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the diaphragm provided in the displacement sensor illustrated inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating a conventional displacement sensor; -
FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating a conventional load sensor; and -
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a Wheatstone bridge circuit provided in the load sensor illustrated inFIG. 8 . - Hereinafter, functions, configurations and operations of a displacement sensor according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a displacement sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 2 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the displacement sensor illustrated inFIG. 1 . - The
displacement sensor 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes asensing body 1 and asignal processing unit 2. Thesensing body 1 is provided at a lower surface thereof with adiaphragm 11 to which astrain gauge 12 is attached, and aninput bar 13 orthogonally fixed to the center of an upper surface thereof, to which displacement of a mechanical device is transmitted. Thestrain gauge 12 serves to measure strain of thediaphragm 11 caused by moment of theinput bar 13, and thesignal processing unit 2 generates an electrical signal based on a strain value output from thestrain gauge 12. - The
displacement sensor 100 may further include ahousing 3 in which thediaphragm 11 of thesensing body 1 and thesignal processing unit 2 are accommodated, and aconnector 4 to receive the electrical signal generated by thesignal processing unit 2. Thehousing 3 has anopening 31 for coupling of thediaphragm 11, and thesignal processing unit 2 is encased within thehousing 3 so as not to be contaminated by impurities. - The
housing 3 may function to shield electromagnetic waves generated from other electronic devices, and may further have aflange 32 having screw holes to install thedisplacement sensor 100 to the mechanical device. - A
cover 3a is attached to thehousing 3 by welding in a final assembly stage. Thecover 3a serves as a shield to improve Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) characteristics and enables realization of a waterproof sensor. In addition, attachment of thecover 3a provides thehousing 3 of thedisplacement sensor 100 with a closed box-shaped structure. With this configuration, when thedisplacement sensor 100 is mounted to a target object, i.e. the mechanical device, it is possible to prevent deformation of theflange 32, caused by, e.g., bolt tightening or flatness of a mounting surface of the mechanical device, from having an effect on thesensing body 1 and consequently, to reduce a mounting offset error, an important characteristic of thedisplacement sensor 100. - The
input bar 13 has an L-shaped form consisting of an upper portion parallel to a horizontal plane of thediaphragm 11 and a lower portion orthogonal to the horizontal plane of thediaphragm 11. When a transmission member T, which constitutes a part of the mechanical device and comes into contact with one end of theinput bar 13, is moved upward, the other end of theinput bar 13 fixed to thesensing body 1 undergoes moment. The moment causes deformation of thediaphragm 11 of thesensing body 1 and thestrain gauge 12 measures strain of thediaphragm 11. -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the diaphragm and the input bar provided in the displacement sensor illustrated inFIG. 1 , andFIG. 4 is a sectional view of the diaphragm and the input bar illustrated inFIG. 3 . - The
strain gauge 12 attached to thediaphragm 11 is arranged parallel to moment generation direction by theinput bar 13. Thestrain gauge 12 includes first to fourth piezo-resistance elements R1, R2, R3 and R4, which are sequentially attached to an imaginary line passing through the center of thediaphragm 11 such that the first and second piezo-resistance elements R1 and R2 are symmetrical respectively to the third and fourth piezo-resistance elements R3 and R4. - In
FIG. 1 , a longitudinal direction of the L-shapedinput bar 13 is referred to as an X-axis. Also, a Y-axis is orthogonal to the X-axis and is parallel to the plane of thediaphragm 11, and a Z-axis is orthogonal to the X-axis and Y-axis directions. - Assuming that the transmission member T is moved upward in the Z-axis direction, the
diaphragm 11 undergoes moment M1 about a rotation axis, i.e. the Y-axis in an X-Z plane. Accordingly, as illustrated inFIG. 3 , the piezo-resistance elements R1, R2, R3 and R4 of thestrain gauge 12 are attached parallel to one another in an X-axis direction in which thediaphragm 11 undergoes maximum deformation under the influence of the moment M1. In this case, thestrain gauge 12 can measure maximum strain of thediaphragm 11 caused by the moment M1, resulting in an accurate measured value. - In
FIG. 4 , when displacement of the transmission member T is transmitted such that the distal end of theinput bar 13 is moved upward, moment is generated causing the first piezo-resistance element R1 and the third piezo-resistance element R3 to be tensioned (lengthened) and the second piezo-resistance element R2 and the fourth piezo-resistance element R4 to be compressed (shortened). On the contrary, when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of theinput bar 13 is moved downward, moment is generated in an opposite direction thus causing the first piezo-resistance element R1 and the third piezo-resistance element R3 to be compressed (shortened) and the second piezo-resistance element R2 and the fourth piezo-resistance element R4 to be tensioned (lengthened) (See the following Table 1). - The
signal processing unit 2 includes a Wheatstone bridge circuit as illustrated inFIG. 5 , and generates an electrical signal based on the above described displacement as represented in the followingEquation 1. -
- Here, R1, R2, R3 and R4 are resistance values corresponding to the respective piezo-resistance elements, K is a fixed proportional constant value representing a gauge factor, and ε1, ε2, ε3, and ε4 are strain values measured by the respective piezo-resistance elements.
- The Wheatstone bridge circuit having the above described configuration generates an electrical signal having a positive (+) value calculated by the
above Equation 1 when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of theinput bar 13 is moved upward, but generates an electrical signal having a negative (-) value when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of theinput bar 13 is moved downward. - In the meantime, the Wheatstone bridge circuit according to the present invention eliminates vertical force which is applied to the
diaphragm 11 along with the moment. That is, the Wheatstone bridge circuit is operated to eliminate vertical force while amplifying moment. The moment amplifying displacement sensor deals with vertical force as one of miscellaneous load. - More specifically, when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of the
input bar 13 is moved upward, there occurs force F1 to vertically raise the center of thediaphragm 11. - In this case, the first piezo-resistance element R1 and the fourth piezo-resistance element R4 are tensioned (lengthened) and the second piezo-resistance element R2 and the third piezo-resistance element R3 are compressed (shortened). In addition, it can be appreciated that the electrical signal calculated by the
above Equation 1 has zero value because strain values of the symmetrically attached first and third piezo-resistance element R1 and R3 and strain values of the symmetrically attached second and fourth piezo-resistance element R2 and R4 have the same magnitude. - Even when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of the
input bar 13 is moved downward, the sum of strain values of the first to fourth piezo-resistance elements may be zero and thus, the electrical signal calculated by theabove Equation 1 has zero value. - The above described principle is summarized in the following Table 1.
- [Table1]
[Table] ε1 ε2 ε3 ε4 Electrical Signal First Case(+ moment) + value - value + value - value + value Second Case(-moment) - value + value - value + value - value Third Case (Vertical Compression) + value - value - value + value Zero value Fourth Case(Vertical Tension) - value + value + value - value Zero value - Here, the first case represents strain caused by moment when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of the input bar is moved upward, the second case represents strain caused by moment when the displacement is transmitted such that the distal end of the input bar is moved downward, the third case represents strain caused when vertical compression force is applied to the input bar, and the fourth case represents strain caused when vertical tensile force is applied to the input bar.
- As described above, the electrical signal generated by the signal processing unit using the Wheatstone bridge circuit has a positive (+) value or a negative (-) value, and the magnitude of input displacement is calculated from the magnitude of the electrical signal. In addition, the Wheatstone bridge circuit eliminates force acing in a vertical direction of the diaphragm, enabling accurate calculation of displacement caused by moment.
-
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the diaphragm provided in the displacement sensor illustrated inFIG. 1 . - The
sensing body 1 according to the present invention has anannular notch 1a indented in the upper surface thereof to amplify deformation of thediaphragm 11. In addition, thesensing body 1 has aslope 1b obliquely extending from thenotch 1a toward the center of the upper surface thereof, theslope 1b serving to increase a linearly deformable area of thediaphragm 11. Specifically, theslope 1b extends by a predetermined inclination angle inward from the bottom of thenotch 1a indented in the upper surface of thesensing body 1. - As the
slope 1b is inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane of thediaphragm 11, thediaphragm 11 undergoes linear deformation in theslope 1b. - This principle is known and is equal to that of a cantilever, which has a downwardly inclined upper surface and a horizontal lower surface, and is linearly deformed when downward shear stress is applied to a distal end of the cantilever.
- In this case, as the linearly deformable area of the
diaphragm 11 where thestrain gauge 12 is attachable increases, a tolerance range of an attachment position of thestrain gauge 12 can be increased. This can reduce generation of defective products due to incorrect attachment of thestrain gauge 12. - In the meantime, to enhance sensitivity of the
displacement sensor 100 by amplifying detected values of the respective piezo-resistance elements R1, R2, R3 and R4 of thestrain gauge 12, preferably, thediaphragm 11 is further provided with a disc-shapedprotrusion 111 having the same center as that of thediaphragm 11. - With provision of the disc-shaped
protrusion 111, the center region of thediaphragm 11 has a thickness greater than a thickness of the remaining region of thediaphragm 11. Consequently, the center region of thediaphragm 11 having the disc-shapedprotrusion 111 is subjected to a smaller strain, whereas a peripheral region of thediaphragm 11 to which the strain gauge is attached, i.e. anattachment surface 112 of thediaphragm 11 is subjected to a greater strain. - In this case, when the
attachment surface 112 is subjected to the greater strain, thedisplacement sensor 100 can perform more accurate measurement even slight moment variation with high sensitivity. - Various embodiments have been described in the best mode for carrying out the invention.
- The present invention is applicable to a displacment sensor to measure displacement caused by moment even with use of a diaphragm to which a strain gauge is attached.
- Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
Claims (4)
- A displacement sensor (100) comprising:a sensing body (1) including a diaphragm (11) provided at a lower surface thereof, to which a strain gauge (12) is attached, and an input bar (13) orthogonally fixed at the center of an upper surface thereof, to which displacement is transmitted, the strain gauge (12) being attached to an imaginary line that is parallel to a direction in which the diaphragm (11) undergoes maximum deformation under the influence of a moment (M1) applied to the diaphragm (11) when displacement is transmitted to the input bar (13) that passes through the center of the diaphragm (11), the strain gauge (12) including a first piezo-resistance element (R1), a second piezo-resistance element (R2), a third piezo-resistance element (R3) and a fourth piezo-resistance element (R4) attached in sequence, the first and second piezo-resistance elements (R1, R2) being symmetrical respectively to the third and fourth piezo-resistance elements (R3, R4), the input bar (13) having an L-shaped form consisting of an upper portion parallel to a plane of the diaphragm (11) and a lower portion orthogonal to the plane of the diaphragm (11); anda signal processing unit (2) to generate an electrical signal based on an output value of the strain gauge (12) corresponding to strain of the diaphragm (11) caused by only moment of the input bar (13), the signal processing unit (2) generating an electrical signal corresponding to strain of the diaphragm (11) by use of the following Equation;
- The displacement sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensing body (1) includes an annular notch (1a) indented in the upper surface thereof, and a slope (1b) extending obliquely from the annular notch (1a) toward the center of the upper surface thereof to increase a linearly deformable area of the diaphragm (11).
- The displacement sensor according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm (11) includes an attachment surface (112) to which the strain gauge (12) is attached and a disc-shaped protrusion (111) having the same center as the center of the diaphragm (11) and serving to increase strain of the attachment surface (112).
- The displacement sensor according to claim 3, further comprising: a housing (3) perforated with an opening (31), into which the diaphragm (11) is inserted and coupled, the housing (3) encasing the signal processing unit (2) therein; and a connector (4) provided at a side surface of the housing (3) while being connected to the signal processing unit (2) to transmit the electrical signal to the outside.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR1020090032423A KR101637040B1 (en) | 2009-04-14 | 2009-04-14 | displacement sensor |
PCT/KR2010/001458 WO2010120042A2 (en) | 2009-04-14 | 2010-03-09 | Displacement sensor |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP2419695A2 EP2419695A2 (en) | 2012-02-22 |
EP2419695A4 EP2419695A4 (en) | 2016-12-21 |
EP2419695B1 true EP2419695B1 (en) | 2018-01-24 |
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Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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EP10764581.4A Not-in-force EP2419695B1 (en) | 2009-04-14 | 2010-03-09 | Displacement sensor |
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US (1) | US8960024B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2419695B1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101637040B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102395857B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010120042A2 (en) |
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US10139186B2 (en) * | 2016-01-14 | 2018-11-27 | Battenfield Technologies, Inc. | Trigger pull force gauge |
JP2021063764A (en) * | 2019-10-16 | 2021-04-22 | ミネベアミツミ株式会社 | Strain sensor and method for measuring strain |
CN112623257B (en) * | 2020-12-29 | 2023-01-13 | 中国航空工业集团公司西安飞机设计研究所 | Force displacement measuring device and method for airplane control device |
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DE2608381C2 (en) * | 1976-03-01 | 1978-03-30 | Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik Gmbh, 6100 Darmstadt | Transmitter |
JPS5866803A (en) * | 1981-10-16 | 1983-04-21 | Shinwa:Kk | Displacement gage |
JPS5895201A (en) * | 1981-12-01 | 1983-06-06 | Kyowa Dengiyou:Kk | Displacement converter |
DE3238951C2 (en) * | 1982-10-21 | 1985-10-17 | A.M. Erichsen Gmbh, 5600 Wuppertal | Force transducers |
US5263375A (en) * | 1987-09-18 | 1993-11-23 | Wacoh Corporation | Contact detector using resistance elements and its application |
JPH02118203U (en) * | 1989-03-06 | 1990-09-21 | ||
JPH04145304A (en) * | 1990-10-08 | 1992-05-19 | Saginomiya Seisakusho Inc | Lever type electric length measuring machine |
JP2002118203A (en) | 2000-10-11 | 2002-04-19 | Hitachi Chem Co Ltd | Substrate for mounting semiconductor, manufacturing method therefor, semiconductor package employing the same and manufacturing method therefor |
JP4626135B2 (en) | 2002-10-04 | 2011-02-02 | 株式会社ニコン | Large aperture ratio internal focusing telephoto zoom lens |
US7210362B2 (en) * | 2002-11-05 | 2007-05-01 | Tanita Corporation | Diaphragm type load detection sensor, load detection unit and electronic scale using same |
KR100468263B1 (en) * | 2003-02-28 | 2005-01-27 | 권장우 | Apparatus for Leather Thickness Measurement |
JP2005106775A (en) * | 2003-10-02 | 2005-04-21 | Alps Electric Co Ltd | Load sensor |
CN1246682C (en) * | 2003-10-16 | 2006-03-22 | 四川大学 | Coarse soil direct shear instrument |
JP4303091B2 (en) * | 2003-11-10 | 2009-07-29 | ニッタ株式会社 | Strain gauge type sensor and strain gauge type sensor unit using the same |
DE102005036126A1 (en) * | 2005-07-26 | 2007-02-01 | Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik Gmbh | Sensor module for a probe of a tactile coordinate measuring machine |
CN201138191Y (en) * | 2007-12-25 | 2008-10-22 | 胡敬礼 | Novel multi-point displacement sensor |
-
2009
- 2009-04-14 KR KR1020090032423A patent/KR101637040B1/en active IP Right Grant
-
2010
- 2010-03-09 WO PCT/KR2010/001458 patent/WO2010120042A2/en active Application Filing
- 2010-03-09 EP EP10764581.4A patent/EP2419695B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2010-03-09 CN CN201080017264.8A patent/CN102395857B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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Also Published As
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US8960024B2 (en) | 2015-02-24 |
EP2419695A4 (en) | 2016-12-21 |
EP2419695A2 (en) | 2012-02-22 |
WO2010120042A3 (en) | 2010-12-16 |
CN102395857B (en) | 2015-05-06 |
KR20100113883A (en) | 2010-10-22 |
US20120011942A1 (en) | 2012-01-19 |
WO2010120042A2 (en) | 2010-10-21 |
CN102395857A (en) | 2012-03-28 |
KR101637040B1 (en) | 2016-07-07 |
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